Collapsible ladder.



om 1. 0 T H 9 m m l H N 7 S E 4 V W E E F u D 2. E T N E. T A D.. 7 n0 mw. DDE LDW MLM UEM L T.. BI BTI-u... .SN .JPN .MT WqLw OL Gn A 2. 3 3 w oo N s n nw W partially the platfo -To all 4whom 'it may concern.;

-Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. BLUNDELL,

of the city ofNcw lyn, in the county o York, have invented a new and Improved Collapsible Ladder, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

, This invention relates to certain improve- .mentsp'in step-ladders, and more particularly to certain limprovements in mcans whereby the step-ladder may be folded to occupy the minimum space 4to facilitate storage or transe `portation, all of the parts remaining` connected while in their folded position.

One object of the invention is to provide a ladder and a shelf or .platform connected thereto and adapted to be automatically folded .with the ladder.

Another object of' the invention is to provide means whereby the extension braces may be more readily raised to fold the ladder.

Further objects will. be hereinafter set forth and a 'structure embodying one form-of my invention described and the novel features thereof defined in the claims.

Reference is to be had t-o`the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, -in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all theig ures, andvin which vFigure '1 is a perspective view of one form of my improved ladder; Fig. 2 is a side view of 'the ladder, one portion thereof being broken away; Fig. 3 isa rear view of the ladder in'its collapsible form; Fig. 4 is a longitudinalsection through thep'arts when injt'he ositions indicated m Fig. 3, and showin in otted lines the position of the ladder w en extended; Fig. 5 is a plan view of rm or shelf, and showing in dotted lines the position'occupied Vwhen the parts are folded; and Fig. 6 is a perspective view of onejform ofste or tread.

In the speci 1c form of my improved ladder WILLIAM 1J BLNDELL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

coLLAPsriaLE LADDER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed umh 26.1907. serial No-r'eesoa raise rest a ainst the top o ends of' t "UNITED STATES VPATENT cerros.

Patentedl Feb. 4, 1908.

v adjacent their opposite ends. and the flanges l 14 are disposedat such an angle in respect to a'citizen of the. United States, and a resident the face or wearing surface that the tread or York, borough of Brookstep will be held substantially horizontal fKings and Stat-e of New' when secured in place between the opposite rails or side members 1() and 11.

the steps of awidth substantial luv equal to the width of the channel of the side members,

and the flanges of the ste s are pivotally con- 5 5 nected'to the flanges of tl) able vpivot bolts, wherebyT one rail may be c or lowered in respect to the other, and upon raising one rail to the limiting osition the steps or treads will be folded in tli) within the channels and op o site rails or side'mem `)ers being brought su stantially in contact with each other, as' indicated in Fi .4. The top step or tread is formed somew at different from the others and serves the additional function of limiting the movement of one side rail Kin one direction beyond the proper point.

As shown, the side member 11 is provided with o positely dis osed brackets l5 rigidly 80 secure thereto and havingportions extending at right angles to the -side member and toward the o posite member. The side member 10 is aso provided with brackets 16 somewhat similar to the brackets 1.5 but hav- 8 5 ing the projections thereon extending ont lwardly and to a distance very materially les-s thany the distance of the extension of the brackets 15. The top I construct ie channels by suitespace 70 ermlt ofthe two step 17 is adapted to the two sideinenibers 10 an .11, and is provided with downwardlyextendingllugs 18 pivotally connected le the e bracketsl and 16 by suitable pivot bolts 19. A s the extensions of both of the brackets 1'5 and 16 extend in the same di- 95 rection, it is evident that the side rail 1U cannot be raised in respect to the side rail 11 beyond the positionmdicated in Fig. 1 and in dotted lines in Fig. 4, and it is also eviden rthat the member 11 may be readily'raised in 10U respect to the side member 10 to bring 'the which I have illustrated in the accolnpanyparts to the-position indicated in solid lines y drawings, I'provide oppositely disposed 1n 4. In order to hold the parts in the si e bars or rails 10 and l1, preferably chan- -proper position for use and to prevent the nel shaped in cross-section` and connected tother by a plurality of steps or treads 12. ach tread or step is preferably ofthe form illustrated in Fig. 6 and comprises a piece of sheet metal having a rectangular face or. wearing surface 13, and having depending flanges within its opposite longitudinal edges. The flanges are provided with perforations accrdental collapsing of the ladder, I provide a suitable brace 2()a having one end thereof ivotally connected to the sith` member 11 and having the'opposite end thereof' detachably connected to the side member 1H :1L a materially higher or'lower distance, hr1-eh 110 the brace 20 is held diagonali) and the ce?I lapsing of the ladder positively prevented.

what is commonlydcr, I provide supportinglegs 20 and 2 1.

`hinges 22, and connecte ,ralit'y of cross braces 23 secured thereto -by' vFor supporting' the ladder and constitute known as a step-lad pvotally connected to thc-side members'lO and 1'1 adjacenttheir up i suitable pivot pins. The legsmay also be 25, each ormed provided .with a connecting brace-2 4 similar to the braces .23, ofthe ladder proper, which may have one endv-pivotally .connectedto the' leg 21 and the other detachablyconnectedtothe merriber Forjlimitingthe movement.

of'the legs in res"ect' te the. side members, I provide o posite y disposed extension braces of two members-26 and 27 .pivotally connected together, 4and also'piva otally lconnected to the correspondingl rail and leg. `The members'27 fare preferably prlovided`with 'cutaway portions adjacent t eir 28 bent-at an angle to the remaining portion opposite catchesl the center mayzb all danger of pinching the finger v1n the. joints` I of the extensronbraces isavo1ded.z

lI provide loopls substantially upon alevel jwardly extendi 'lugs ,30] each b ea bbIt', said piwfot bOli'fS, 31rb1ng. Ain alinement and extendingv toward-each is provided with respect to th and adapted t'o 'engage within'said cutaway'.

to limit the'downward movement of portions tal connectlons' of 'the' .extension braces. .In o rd'erto fold the legsagLils'tthe-` railsor side members, 1t is necessary tol raise the middle portion of, each extension' and in order-.to facilitatefthis raising,

brace 7 or catches '29adapted`to be engaged by t e Adjacent the upper -endvof th ladderfand with the' next to the to step, I'provid'e a platform 'ior shelf einbo onennportant -venton.` To sup ort .theshelfor platform I provide each of t 'e legs v20 and 21 out:

suitable pivot other. The shelf or platformcomprises-two pposltely disposed side .members 32 'snpported intermediate their ends. upon "said pivot boltsand adapted to have .theinner end of each rest -ben'eath and in enga ement- Awith the 4next to the top step or. trea ofthe *ladderz .One ofthe side members 32 is provided with a small hcp'ening for the reception ofits pivot bolt, w e the other. side member a longitudinal slot `33-, whereby it may be moved longitudinali :in

diate their-endsby two suitable'links 34 -piv'otally secured thereto, .and v.these two. i r .intermediate nls are connected' to ethe their' ends by' a suitable 35 ivota-lly secn red in place. The links, toget er. with the side bars, constitute' a-platform for the snpport c'f a receptacleor any article to be used er ends by suitable -v together by aplu# ivotal connections to fthe members 26, and t e latter-are.providedwith4 extensionsfinger. yBl AIneens ofthese. e iifra'adil' raised and fat all times.

eatureof my in-:`

first mentioned side mem er;l The members '32 are connected togetherfat a;l point adjacenttheir outer ends and lnterme'- side members or bars 32 'may also; if desired,

in theproper relation to each other.

braces 2 0a and 24' are disconnected fr ornne v and allowed to drop to positions substantial parallel" means'oftheloops or hooks 29,A the exten- "si'on braces 2.5 are raised and thelegs 20 Iand lelto the rails 10 and` 11. composedofthe side bars 32 'and the connecting links carried thereby-is' then-raised upon the. pivot'bolts 31 to .a'substantially pairlgllel .to that 4occupiedby the -legs and ra leg 21 pivotallyconnected thereto,the parts are brought -to the positionindcated inFig. 3, and the platform, aswell as the ladder, is

space. I

tween the pivot bolts 19 .o f the'top step' and the pivot boltsl of the main steps or treads, vwher-eb of the vertical or substantially as. theyl are -raisedpor lowered, and all of. the steps and the cross-bars 23 remain parallel As-the' side bars 32 of the platshelf are closer together than are the legs 20 and 21, or-the opposite rails form or opposite slight sliding movement of4 one'of the side bars 32 in respectto its pivot bolt, Whereb these bars may also assumezpositin's ara lel to the rails and the-legs when-the'4 evice its folded position.A Having thus descri vclaim'as new and desire to secure by Letters "1J lIn' combination, a ladder, including oppositelyfdis osed side rails and treads con? necting sai side rails, said vladder beingfcol-` la sible in its own plane,legs connec'tedto said si e rails and vmovable in res ct thereto and positel -disp'osedside rails movablev` respectto eacl ot er, treadsconnecting vsaid lside to the .opposite rail and leg; By

2 1 hroughtto a position substantially paral-i The platform verticalposition and in a plane substantially Thenv by raising the rail 1l and the.-

folded to occupy the minimumA amount' of.

. constructing the device', the distance between the pivt bolts of feach cross bar 23.4 is substantially the same as the distance 'be-- vertica .members travel ins-parallel planes 10 and 11, it is necessary'to provide for aa. shelf or platformivota y connected toby .th'e'personl'femploying the ladder. 'Ihe i.

be. connected together by a link 36 on the A4under side -thereof to additionallyfhold them` To collapse the ladder, the connecting1 ofthe rails and one '.of the'legs, respectively,

bedl "invention,- I

into a plane substan'- collapsible'in said planeas .said ladder is col-'- rails, legs connected to said side. rails and movable in respect thereto, and a shelf or platform adjacent the top tread collapsible laterally and in its own plane.

4. In a step-ladder, the combination of oppositely disposed side rails movable in respect to each other, treads connecting said side rails, legs connected to said side rails and movable in respect thereto, and a shelf or platform carried by said legs and in engagement with one of the treads said shelf or platform being collapsible laterally and in its ownplane..

5. In a step-ladder, the combination of oppositely disposed side rails movable in respect to each other, treads connecting said side rails, legsv connected to said side rails and movable in respect thereto, and a lshelf or platform collapsible laterally and in'its oWn plane pivotally connected to one ofsaid legs and pivotally and slidably connected to the other leg.

6. In a stepladder7 the combination of oppositely disposed side rails movablein respect to each other, treads connecting said side rails, legs connected to said side rails and movable in respect thereto, and a shelf or platform collapsible laterally and in its own plane pivotally connected to one of said legs and pivotally and slidably connected to the other leg and in engagement with the under side of one of the treads when the ladder is in its extended position.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of tWo subscribing Witnesses.

WILLIAM J, BLUN DELL. Witnesses:

CLAIR W. FAIRBANK, EVERARD B. MARSHALL. 

